“O Canada, these are Our Waters, too!”

Just when you thought you had sent in your comments on every possible project proposal that would increase vessel traffic and accident and oil spill risk in our waters, along comes yet another. This one is just across the border.

WHAT SAFE SHIPPERS CAN DOBecause an imposing vessel traffic increase along our islands’ shores would affect us directly, we can’t miss the opportunity to be a part of the environmental review scoping process for this new terminal expansion. This is similar to our participation in the scoping processes for other projects threatening our waters by proposing notable increases in vessel traffic: the Gateway Pacific coal terminal at Cherry Point, the Millennium Bulk coal terminal in Longview, the Tesoro Savage oil export terminal in Vancouver WA, and the Shell refinery expansion in Anacortes.

Those projects received hundreds of thousands of letters expressing concerns for environmental protection, but thanks to the letters from Safe Shippers, ours were the only voices speaking out for our specific corner of the Salish Sea.

LET’S KEEP USING OUR ISLAND VOICES!The preliminary comment period for the Centerm Expansion Project environmental review is now underway. Please send in your comments to make sure our special island concerns are addressed in finalizing the scope of the technical and environmental studies of this project.

TIPS FOR COMMENTINGHere’s what we know from experience:• It’s not enough to evaluate project impacts only at the terminal site.• Impacts of increased vessel traffic cannot be fully evaluated if only the proposed project’s traffic is analyzed.• A thorough vessel traffic impacts analysis must include the waterways along our islands.• An accurate study considers all the region’s projects that would increase vessel traffic and accident and oil spill risk. These include projects that have been approved and are under construction, as well as those in the application review process (all “reasonably foreseeable” projects).• This project’s vessel traffic impacts to our orca whales must be addressed. Vessel traffic noise impacts our Southern Resident Killer Whales (see link to study below). The Southern Resident Killer Whales are federally listed as an endangered species and they are a keystone of our local economy.

This is what we ASK for:

NOTE: In the Feedback Form, to check the “Strongly Disagree” box means that you don’t agree with the scope of the study — because it doesn’t include areas of importance to islanders).

Identify all US Federal and WA State species that are listed as threatened or endangered. Address all vessel traffic and associated noise impacts to Southern Resident Killer Whales and their critical habitat (See: Ship noise extends to frequencies used by endangered killer whales: Noise in coastal habitats could interfere with orca’s communication, ability to locate scarce salmon: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160202090531.htm)